Wagyu beef has been a delicacy in Japanese cuisine for more than
1,000 years. The Japanese name is ‘Eki-gyu (益牛), roughly translated
as ‘benefit cow’, demonstrating just how important this particular
breed of cattle is to the Japanese people.

Wagyu serves as a collective term
for a select number of breeds of
cattle of exceptional quality, which
includes Kobe. These cattle have
traditionally been as respected as a
member of the family and the
Tajima-gyu cattle from the Hyogo
area of Japan have been celebrated
in ancient writings dating back as far
as 800AD.

Tajima-gyu is widely held to be the
best type of Wagyu as it’s 100%
traceable back to the Hyogo
prefecture, the capital of which is
Kobe, from where this breed takes
its name.

Approximately 3,000 cattle annually
make the grade for Kobe beef
certification, with as few as 30
leaving Japan for export.

ENGAWA imports the entire cow
and does much of the butchering
in-house, resulting in a unique range
of cuts for diners.